The Turkish Steel Exporters’ Association (ÇİB) organized a trade delegation visit to Pristina, Kosovo, on February 24-26 with the aim of increasing Turkey’s effectiveness in the Balkans, strengthening its presence in the market and setting up new partnerships. The association aims to increase the trade volume between the two countries through meetings to be held within the scope of the delegation’s visit. 28 Turkish companies participating in the delegation held bilateral meetings with 150 import companies.
Emphasizing that Turkey had a 40 percent share in Kosovo’s steel imports in 2024, Adnan Aslan, chairman of ÇİB, stated that this share is expected to increase to 60 percent in 2025.
Underlining that the organized trade delegations created a great opportunity in terms of increasing Turkey’s exports, Mr. Aslan said, “In 2024, Turkey’s steel exports totaled 17.7 million mt, up by 21.8 percent year on year, with a value of $16.1 billion, up by 8.6 percent. We want to increase this figure even further in 2025 and expect the Turkish steel industry’s exports to be worth $18 billion this year. Although protectionism, quotas and tariffs pose serious difficulties for Turkey’s steel exports, we aim to maintain our exports by strengthening position in the markets and entering new markets. In addition, we are aware that we need to focus on value-added products in order to increase exports. Turkish manufacturers are also currently making significant investments in high value-added products.”